TOBACCO CURING PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROCESS

Abstract: A tobacco curing process by which the tobacco in strip form advancing within a rotary cylinder (1) is sprayed with an atomized mixture of substances able to improve the tobacco characteristics, characterised in that during the curing treatment the inner lateral surface of the cylinder (1) is sprayed with a steam jet.

Description: Tobacco curing process and apparatus for implementing the process. This invention relates to a tobacco curing process and an apparatus for implementing the process. Tobacco processing includes a treatment known as "curing" by which the tobacco is treated with a solution based on sugar, liquorice and quantities of mineral salts. This treatment, the purpose of which is to improve the tobacco characteristics, is generally effected using a rotary cylinder containing the tobacco in the form of leaf pieces (strips) which are sprayed with this solution heated to 70- 80°C and atomized with steam. The particular temperature conditions and the type of substances used means that during curing, a part of the tobacco leaves compresses together to the cylinder walls, with consequent loss of tobacco leaves. In the subsequent drying stage, that part of the compressed leaves which separates from the cylinder cannot be dried effectively, so that there is a further loss of tobacco. To obviate this drawback it has been proposed to use a rotating brush which slides against the inner walls of the cylinder, however this solution has further drawbacks, and in particular: - a loss of time at the end of the process for cleaning the brush, to which the compressed strips remain attached, and - a considerable loss of strips. An object of the invention is to obviate said drawbacks by providing a process which enables the inner walls of the cylinder to be maintained constantly clean without increasing the operating cost or the loss of tobacco leaves. This object and further ones which will result from the following description are attained according to the invention through a tobacco curing process as described in claim 1. To implement the process the invention uses an apparatus as described in claim 5. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing, which represents a schematic side view of an apparatus for implementing the process of the invention. As can be seen from the drawing, the tobacco curing process according to the invention uses a rotary cylinder 1 arranged slightly inclined, it being open at the feed end for the tobacco leaf pieces (strips) and closed at its other end by a discharge hopper 2. The discharge hopper 2 is provided with a centrifugal fan 3 able to create a slight vacuum within the rotary cylinder 1. The cylinder 1 is provided at its entry opening with an annular flange 4 on which there is mounted a bracket 5 provided with slide guides for a pipe 6 arranged parallel to the axis of the cylinder substantially at its lateral surface, and provided with a plurality of spray nozzles 7 facing said surface. The pipe 6 is fed with steam from a boiler 8. Externally to the cylinder at the opposite end to the bracket there is mounted a further bracket for supporting a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 9, to the rod 10 of which there is pivoted a bar 11 having its other end pivoted to the pipe 6. The bar 11 is also pivoted in its centre to an arm 12. The apparatus also comprises a spray device, indicated overall by 13 and consisting of a tank 14 for a mixture suitable for the curing treatment, a pipe 15 with a feed pump 16, and a spray nozzle 17 facing the interior of the cylinder. With the process of the invention the tobacco strips conveyed along a feed belt 18 are introduced into the rotary cylinder 1 and are treated with the curing mixture delivered via the atomizer nozzle 17. Steam is simultaneously fed, to emerge from the spray nozzles 7 and exerts a mechanical scraping action on the walls of the cylinder 1, so preventing formation of tobacco leaf accumulations. During this stage the rod 10 is moved reciprocatingly, with consequent axial movement of the pipe 6 in both directions. In this manner, virtually total cleaning of the cylinder can be achieved with a minimum quantity of steam.

Claims: C L I M S 1. A tobacco curing process by which the tobacco in strip form advancing within a rotary cylinder (1) is sprayed with an atomized mixture of substances able to improve the tobacco characteristics, characterised in that during the curing treatment the inner lateral surface of the cylinder (1) is sprayed with a steam jet. 2. A process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the inner lateral surface of the cylinder is sprayed in discontinuous portions. 3. A process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the inner lateral surface of the cylinder is sprayed in its upper region. 4. A process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the inner lateral surface is sprayed along a line parallel to the cylinder axis. 5. An apparatus for implementing the process claimed in claims 1 to 4 comprising a rotary cylinder (1) provided with a feed opening for tobacco strips and a discharge hopper (2) , characterised by comprising a pipe (6) fed with steam, said pipe (6) being arranged parallel to the cylinder axis and being provided with a plurality of spray nozzles (7) facing the surface. 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the pipe (6) is axially movable. 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the pipe (6) is axially movable under the control of a lever (11) operated by a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit (9) .

Inventors: MARTIN MARIO, MARTIN, MARIO
Applicants: COMAS COSTRUZIONI MACCHINE SPE, MARTIN MARIO, COMAS - COSTRUZIONI MACCHINE SPECIALI - S.P.A., MARTIN, MARIO
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A24B3
IPC codes: A24B3